Roller-bearing cage and method qe making same



Patented Felix 27, 1923 45 487 settist;

HENRY rt TIMKEN, 01 C NTON; emo, ASSIGNOBTO THE TIMKEN EOLLER BEARING COMPANY, on CANTON, oman CGRPORATION OF OHIO.

ROLLER-BERING CAG'E .AND METHOD OF IVIAKING SEE Application filed. January 31,.1922. Serial NO. 533,109.

TO all 'w kom t' may conce'm Be it'lrnown that T, HENRY H. TIMKEN, a Citizen of the United States, and resident of the city of Canton, county ofStark, and State of Ohio, have-invented a new and useful l inprov'ement in Roiier Bearing Cagcs and Methods of Making Same, of Which the following is 'Specification My ;invention relates to the nianufacture tofore the manutacture 01 cages for' roller bearingshas involved a long and expensive' process. The common process of making such cages has been to punch a circular disk out ei a sheet of metal, draw the same into the 'form et a cup, punch outthe central por tion of the bottom thereo punch, one at a tnne, lon itudlnally extending I-shaped slots in the side Wall thereof, and spread and shape the fiaps at the sides o t the S10tS t0 form pockets 'for the rollers. These operations necessitate the 'repeated handling of the blank anditstranster troni'inachine to' machine. The principal object of the pre 'facturing' roller bearing cages and the like in. a conjtiiiuous operation, that Will be more expeditious and' more peconoinical of mats-v rial than the old process and Will effect a great saving of labor and W ll loss of product. v

The .invention consists principally n* starting With. a long band or strip of sheet metal, feedng the same orward (step by' t step or n continuously) punchin or stamping therein ::teach opcr i of Openingsrequired *forfthe cage pockets, rolling the strip into cylindrical form and Welding' together the edges thereo severng .the tube thus 'formed between ,successive stampngs to form cylindrical 'sections Or cages and then, if desired, -converting said cylindrical sections'into conicalcagesn It Figs. i to inclusive are; respectively;

cross-sections 'the correspondingly numbered lines in Fig lg y f v Fig, 'Z illustrates'a modification -whereln of roller bearing cages and the like. Here involye a smaller r a .Ten Et complete set' cages accord-f' theend section of the Welded tube is sev- *cred While in cylindrcal'form, either for use' in that form- Or into Conversion into *eonical form; and

'Figz 8 illustrates the dieshaping operation by Which the cylindrical slug iseonerted into conical shape.

Accordingto the present invention, I start With .long strip or band 11 of sheet steel or ther su'itable metal of such Width that, 3 When rolled into cylindrical forn i the diame-ter of the Cylindrical tube formed thereby 'Will be approximately that desired for the finished article or suitable for Conversion into a conical cage or other' conical article 'of required diameter. This strip is' :fed 'for- .Ward step by step'to a punchpress, Which is preterably provided With, a gang of punches 2 arranged 'transversely or the Strip and equal in number to thenuinber of pockets required for the cage. The punches are, ort course, so designed and arranged that hen the cage is completech the holes formed 'by such punches Will all 'be in planes that pass through the axis of the cage. By this arrangenient 'each operation of the press stunips all the holes required for the poclets o t the cage. V i

Thenext Operation after stainping the strip or band isto roll it into the form ofa skeip 3 and Weld the abutting (Or lapping) edgzes so as to form a continuous tube t. This tube is then cut off section by section, the huts being made' between suc'cessive punchings so that each section* 5 has two annular end portions 6 that are connected by lonpgitudinally disp'osed bridges 7 Which bridges are separated'by the longitudinally extending opening's or pockets 8 :for the rollers This 'product constitutes a cage for cylindrical roile'rs and is usable as sucln it being" considered unnecessary to describe 'the process ot' assemblinp; the rollers in the 'VVhen't is desired to' adapt a cage for use With conical rollers, the cylindricalsection above describedis 'given the necessary taper by a n suitable operation, as by Stretching' one of the annular bands at the ends thereof, or' by uarrowing; one of said bands or by 4 stretchinp; one of: said bands and narrowing the other, Such taper may be produced either before or after severng the cage from the end of the tube. For this purpose, the

annular band at the end of the tube may becrimped throughout its periphery so as to decrease the dianieter thereot before the end section is cut oi'. As an alternative operation a cylindrieal section is cut off from the end of the tube, set in a proper ferming die and submitted to the necessary operation to Contract ene end thereot, er to enlarge one end thereot, according to the nature of the die, which should be designed to distribute the stretch or contraction throughout the periphery. Preterably thisoperationo' tapering-erconing is eli'eetediby a tapered punch in axial alinenient With a shaping die of the size and taper requirechthe tubular section being placed in ;the die and' enlarged against the coni :al Willi. thereot by the action of the punch. It is desirable 'to heat the tubular section ;before the coningoperation, because the operation otwelding produces therein a coarse structure resembling that ett case metal, and the die-pressin action on this hot :metal has the effect of renning the structure 'of the weld and ,making it niore nearly hoinogeneons ith the' lnain niass of metal.

:Obviously either endof the cage, n 'hether cylindrical or conical, inay be fianged as desired; and the cage may be subjected to any straightening Or finishing operation as well as cages made by other processcs. For instance, in case :the cage .er welded section, afterthe turning ottheflash theretrem, inay not be of the exact size required, itinay be coned to exact size; that is, it may be die-- pressed with suehpressure applied to the.

cold metal that the metal will 'Hon' plasti- -cally against the Wall ofthe die and perman entlyitaper the size and form thereof.

The process above described iswell adapt ed for use With automatic inachinery. 'Thusn the-strip that is fed in fiat conditionto the punch'presssinay be delivered therefroin directly to the-skelping device and thence to 'the welding-device and thence, directly or through a coning device, tocthe cut Oil' de-- rice; so that in case ot a sufiiciently long Strip, cylindrical or conical cages orsections may be severed from One endthereof, while the other end-is still fiat.

Vi hile I'have described.the 'feed to and from tl-ie punchpress as au interinittent er step by step-teed,-it is obvious -that by mount ing the cutters or punehes on a rotatable head, a 'eontinuous feed maybe used, and such continuous 'feed is usually preterable When the skelping and Welding; devices are -arrauged .to operate ounthe strip While its Tear portion 'is still passing through the punchingideyice. n-such case, the cut ofl'. :devices should -be mounted to move for-- nWa-rdly With the tube. VVliile I have de- -scribed niy process as adapted for continuou -operationand this continuity has the ;great .adyantage of ;minimizing Work and akes if or :.ieu1:a.cy, itiisgobreus that uch Tcpntmultyfisfinot essential-teymy: ngvar-;t gn z 1 ies 287' ter a strip inay be punched throughout its length before it *t'cd to either the Welding device Or the sltelping device. Obviously, When it is desired that the niargins of the bridge pieces shall have Wings Or 'flaps for cooperating in ferming pockets tor the rollcrs, the holes should be l-shaped; and, like wise the shape of the holes in the 'Hat strlp should be designed with reference to the subsequent Operations and the final form required in the finished article.

Likewise, While the 'ioregoing description contemplates that the line of Weld shall run. longitudinally eit' the strip of sheet metal, and that the Weld shall be made prior to the severance et the section from the strp, I also contenip'late the opposite conditions. For instance, instead et the gang of punches being disposed in a stfiaight .line transversely of the sheet, they inay be arranged in an arcuate i'orin dispesed either cresswise or end- Wise of the sheet. ln 'the latter Case, a blank ing punch is associated With said punches .Which blanking punch will punch out an arcuate blank having therein the punched holes made by said gang et punches and the punched blank is rolled into conical term and Welded along its meeting ends.

obviously the invention admits et' various changes and I do not WlSll to limit myself to the Operations heretotore described. Like- Wise, it is adapted :For manutacturing other articles besides roller bearing cages.

What I claim is: V

1. The process of inaiuitactiu'ing cages for roller bearings and the like Which con sists in Operating on a long strip or band of metal to form therein series of openings, coni 'ertlng said Strip into a Welded tube, and

-severing the same into sections between adj acent series of Openings.

2; The process of manufacturing cages for roller bearings and :the like which consists in punching transverse series of I-shaped holesin a strip or band of metal, converting said pnnched strip into a closed tube, and severing the same into sections between adjacent series of holes.

3. The process oft maunfacturing cages for roller bearings and the like Which consists in punching transverse series of openings in a Strip or band of metal, Converting said strip into a Welded tube coning the end portion of said tube and se ering said coned portion between acent series of openings.

-in The process of manufacturing cages 'for roller bear' and the like Which consists in Operating on an elongated Strip or band 'of' inetal to form therein series of openings, relhng sald punched strlp and Welding: the

longitudinal edges thereof, severing ofi a. section between adjacent series of openings, and die shaping said section underpressure sufiicient to plastically flow the metaltherefiofsto theform of the dien 5. The process of manufacturing cages for roller hearlngs and the like Which consists in Operating on an elongated Strip or band of y roller bearings andthe likeWhich consists in Operating on an elongated strip or band of metal to form therein series of openings,

rolling said punched Strip and Welding the' longitudinal edges thereof, severing off a section between adjacent series' of openings, and heating said section .and die shaping the same While hot into conical form.

7. The process Ofmanufacturing cages for roller bearingsand the like Which comprises the punchingof transverse series'of shaped holes in a Strip or hand of metal ,converting said Strip into a closed tuhe, changing the diameter ot the end portion ol? said tuben'to 'ical shape and' With its ends Welded toconvert it into conical form, and severing said end ,portion between adjacent series of holes, the Operations of severng and coning 'being performed in Whatever Sequence is desired. r v

8. The process of manufacturing cages for roller bearings and the like Which comprises the punching of transverse series of I-shaped holes in a Strip Or band of metal, converting said Strip into a closed tube, changing the diameter of the end portion of said tuhe to convert it into conical form, and severing said: end portion' between adjacent series of holes, the Operations of severing and coning being performed in' Whatever Sequence is desired. v

9. The process of making cages for roller hearings and the like Which coniprises the s curving of a suitably punched 'blank into a hOllOw cage of circular section, Welding the adjacent ends'to gether, heating the same, and die-shaping the cage While hot, Wherehy the structure of the Weld is refined.

.10. A cage for roller'bearings or the like,-

coinprising a punched blank curved into a form of circular section With its ends elded together and hot-struck to shape the same and improve the structure of the Weld.

11. A conical cage for roller hearings or the like, comprisnga punched blank curved into a' form of circular section With its ends Welded together and hot-struck to shape the same and improve the structure of the Weld.

12. A' cage for roller bearings or the like, coniprising an arcuate blank having an arcuate 'series of holes therein CurVed into con gether.

13. 'A cage for roller bearings Or the like, comprlslng 'an arcuate blank havlng an ar- Cuate series of holes therein curved into conical' shape and With its ends Welded together .and hot struck to shape the same and inl- H. TMKEN. 

